Investing

Commodity prices including those of...[gold and silver] tend to go through super-cycles...[which] last for many years. [Below is a review of the history of such cycles and the length of each. Where are we now in each? When will they go "boom"? When will they go "bust"? Let's take a look.] Words: 165; Charts: 1; Tables: 3

Most of us just throw away gold without knowing it. Here's an interesting infographic...that shows how much gold is in our garbage.

3 critical drivers for gold, silver and their relative securities [are once again enticing] investors to...take stakes here. These catalysts...affect both the short-term and long-term, and so, at the very least, a floor may be developing.

So many headlines are saying “$5,000 Gold; $10,000 Gold; Silver, The Investment of the Decade,” etc, etc, etc. Will that happen? A history of failed fiat currencies says "yes". When will it happen? That is the question few articles address because they simply have no clue, beyond their sensationalized headlines. Who can best answer that question? It is not "who can", but "what can", and that comes from the market itself - ever the most reliable source. The answers may not always satisfy, but the market is never wrong [and this is what the market is saying]. Words: 590

U.S. stocks are off to one of their best starts in years. Most indices are up 10% year to date, prompting many investors to ask: "Are we in another bubble?" The answer is no, at least when it comes to equities. Here are three reasons why:

Anyone who says they know for certain where the stock market is heading is a prevaricator, but what we can do is look at historical trends, current market conditions, and make an educated decision on the direction it is most likely to take. With that said, I have made a list of the five things that could indicate that the recent stock market rally has seen the best of its days, and now may be on the down-slope of its March madness ride.

The Economic Straight Talk Newsletter gives you balanced views and contextual comments that save you time. The newsletter's objective is to help you keep up to date, gain new ideas, better trade and invest, better communicate with your investment advisor if you have one, and importantly make your own ‘penny drop’. Take a look.

Those who discuss gold in terms of bull or bear markets do not understand reality and do a disservice to less informed readers. Gold is money, true money, as opposed to fiat currencies. True and honest money cannot be in a bull or bear market. Its value is stable (but not constant!).

With the stock market forging ahead it is imperative that those who manage other peoples money (and/or their own) become extremely well read - beyond their normal corporate reports, opinions and analyses - on the reality of what is evolving in the marketplace from as many different perspectives as possible. Because it would take days to gather such information we have gathered together a number of such articles on the subject with introductory paragraphs and hyperlinks to each. They are well worth your time to read.

I am not married to my ideas and neither should you be. While I have covered the long-term bullish argument in the past, I believe there are some indications that gold is richly valued in the interim. Caution is warranted.